My iMac Core 2 Duo ihas flashing folder with question mark (2018)

Joined
Dec 5, 2018
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
My friend is a property manager. An old iMac was left in one of his units. I have previously worked on this computer back in March and at one point I was able to go into the startup manager and select the OS....i was able to use it. Unfortunately when I moved I unplugged the computer and now I can't get it to work. I have researched every type of possible solution and I still can't get it to work. I have tried all the keyboard commands...command+r, holding "N" on startup, command-T, option-command-P-R, pressing shift of startup, holding the option key on startup. I have even tried making a bootable flash drive. Nothing works. I'm hoping someone could possibly solve this dilemma for me. I don't the current operating system or specs outside of what I found using the serial #. It also makes a light clicking noise.



When i held the option key on startup; after a few seconds the screen changes from the flashing folder to a white screen with a black cursor. Im not sure how long I should hold the option key. I left the screen up for about a day and nothing changed.


Holding the "N" down during startup took me took a page with a flashing globe. When I let the key go; after a few seconds it switched back to the flashing folder icon. I tried it a second time, and held it longer. The globe stayed on the screen longer but eventually went back to the folder.

option-command-p-r worked and restarted as instructed...so i guess no problem there....?


Shift didnt work either.



If anyone has any insight please respond.



Blessings to you all!
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
Welcome to our forums.

Sounds like hard drive failure. Any idea of what year and model it is? Check to see if there is a serial number on the back or somewhere on the machine. That will tell us which model you have.
 
OP
B
Joined
Dec 5, 2018
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_cd_2.0_20.html







Introduction Date: January 10, 2006 Discontinued Date: September 6, 2006
Processors: 1 (2 Cores) Architecture: 32-Bit
Geekbench 2 (32): 2542 Geekbench 2 (64): N/A
Geekbench 3 (32): N/A Geekbench 3 (32): N/A
Geekbench 3 (64): N/A Geekbench 3 (64): N/A
Geekbench 4 (SC): Pending Geekbench 4 (MC): Pending
Processor Speed: 2.0 GHz Processor Type: Core Duo (T2500)
Details: The Intel "Core Duo" (T2500) processor includes two independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip.

Also see: How fast is the iMac "Core Duo" compared to the iMac G5? How fast is it compared to the Power Mac G5?
Turbo Boost: N/A Custom Speeds: N/A
Processor Upgrade: ZIF Socket FPU: Integrated
System Bus Speed: 667 MHz Cache Bus Speed: 2.0 GHz (Built-in)
ROM/Firmware Type: EFI EFI Architecture: 32-Bit
L1 Cache: 32k/32k L2/L3 Cache: 2 MB (on chip)
RAM Type: PC2-5300 DDR2 Min. RAM Speed: 667 MHz
Details: Supports 667 MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (200-pin SO-DIMM).

Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in the iMac "Core Duo"? How much RAM of what type does it support?
Standard RAM: 512 MB Maximum RAM: 2 GB
Details: 512 MB is installed as a single SO-DIMM, one slot free.

In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this iMac.

In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells memory and other upgrades for this iMac.

In Australia, site sponsor RamCity sells memory and other upgrades for this iMac.

Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs.
Motherboard RAM: None RAM Slots: 2
Video Card: Radeon X1600 VRAM Type: GDDR3
Details: ATI Radeon X1600 graphics processor using PCI Express. Has 128 MB of GDDR3 video memory (upgrade option at the time of purchase to 256 MB).

Also see: What type of video processor is provided by the iMac "Core Duo" and "Core 2 Duo" systems? Is it upgradable?
Standard VRAM: 128 MB Maximum VRAM: 128 MB
Built-in Display: 20.0" Widescreen Native Resolution: 1680x1050
Details: This model has a widescreen 20.0" TFT active matrix display with a native resolution of 1680x1050. Apple also reports a "typical" brightness of 280 cd/m2, contrast ratio of 800:1, and viewing angle of 170 degrees horizontal and 170 degrees vertical.

Also see: What are the differences between the displays used in the iMac "Core Duo/Core 2 Duo" models? What is the viewable angle and the brightness of each?
2nd Display Support: Dual/Mirroring 2nd Max. Resolution: 1920x1200*
Details: Apple reports that this model supports "digital resolutions up to 1920x1200" and "analog resolutions up to 2048x1536".
Standard Storage: 250.0 GB HDD Std. Storage Speed: 7200 RPM
Details: In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this iMac.

In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells storage upgrades for this iMac.

In Southeast Asia, site sponsor SimplyMac.sg sells storage upgrades for this iMac.

Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs.
Storage Dimensions: 3.5" (26.10 mm) Storage Interface: Serial ATA (1.5 Gb/s)
Standard Optical: 8X DL "SuperDrive" Standard Disk: None
Standard Modem: None Standard Ethernet: 10/100/1000Base-T
Details: An external Apple USB Modem is available for US$49.
Standard AirPort: 802.11a/b/g Standard Bluetooth: 2.0+EDR
USB Ports: 3 (2.0) Firewire Ports: 2 (400)
Expansion Slots: None Expansion Bays: None
Details: In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of external expansion options and hand-picked accessories like external storage, stands, keyboards, cables, adapters, speakers, and more for this iMac.

In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit offers an extensive selection of external expansion options and accessories like docks, stands, chargers, keyboards, security products, and more for this iMac.
Incl. Keyboard: Apple Keyboard Incl. Input: Mighty Mouse
Case Type: All-in-One Form Factor: iMac Intel (White)
Apple Order No: MA200LL Apple Subfamily: Early 2006
Apple Model No: A1174 (EMC 2105) Model ID: iMac4,1
Details: Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model.

Also see: All Macs with the A1174 Model Number, the 2105 EMC Number, and the iMac4,1 Model Identifier.

For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section.
Battery Type: N/A Battery Life: N/A
Pre-Installed MacOS: X 10.4.4 (8G1165) Maximum MacOS: X 10.6.8*
Minimum Windows: XP SP2 (32-Bit)* Maximum Windows: 7 (32-Bit)*
MacOS 9 Support: None Windows Support: Boot/Virtualization
Details: Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs?

Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications.

For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A.
Dimensions: 18.6 x 19.4 x 7.4 Avg. Weight: 22 lbs. (10 kg)
Original Price (US): US$1699 Est. Current Retail: US$225-US$325
Details: Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated).

Photo Credit: Apple Computer.
 
Last edited:

Raz0rEdge

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
15,745
Reaction score
2,071
Points
113
Location
MA
Your Mac's Specs
2022 Mac Studio M1 Max, 2023 M2 MBA
A flashing folder icon means that the firmware can't find the OS to boot. On a machine that is 13+ years old, the most likely culprit, as already suggested, is the hard drive failure. That machine can go up to 10.6.8 Snow Leopard and no more, so if you wanted to spend any money on it (and I wouldn't recommend it), you'd need to purchase a new drive (spinning or SSD) and get a copy of Snow Leopard (unless you have the original installer disk).

Depending on what the machine is used for will dictate how big of a drive you want/need. If you say 500GB SSD, that's around $250 or so and then another $20 for the Snow Leopard disk. So if you want to spend that much on a machine that's woefully out of date, go ahead.

Understand that the OS will not support any recent version of applications.
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
25,564
Reaction score
486
Points
83
Location
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Suggest binning it and moving on.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top